Cloud

Yep, the Official Dropbox is now in Windows Store! We’ve been waiting for this for such a long time, and there have been multitudes of wannabe clients in the Store, but there is nothing like a client bearing the name of the Service provider itself. We will never know what kept Dropbox this long, especially because this is such a small app clocking only 112Kb. It seems to be something you could write in a weekend, but since MS announced this app with Win8 go-life in October, what could have kept this app for so long.

Anyway, you now have a guaranteed solid client for all your Dropbox services. Here is how Dropbox Inc. described it in the Store:

DescriptionWith the Dropbox app for Windows 8, you can easily browse all your files, view your pictures, and watch your videos with a tap!

FeaturesBrowse and preview all of your files and photos on DropboxOpen, edit and save files from other Windows 8 appsShare any photo, file or folder with the Share CharmFind your files with the Search Charm

Well, like I said, nothing spectacular there, just your basic file activities. Better than nothing, and it cost you nothing, so go ahead and download now in the Store via the Source Link below.

Hello All, welcome to this iteration of the News from the Store. I did it again, I know. Dropped the ball twice now, I couldn’t publish last weekend again. Just bear with me people as I am going through some personal tough times at work and private life. You’ll indeed notice my inconsistency also online these past period. And given this pressure and realization that the Store has grown to such a point that it is humanly impossible to cover every App that drop in the Store, and to make sure you guys are not missing out, I have reached out to some friends online that I know are as passionate as I am about Windows 8 and the Windows Store to share this burden with me. So you’ll be seeing posts on this site from these people. Naz (Nazmus S Khandaker) has bitten off the spit last week, you’ve seen a couple of posts from him, the last that is making a lot of wave is about the Un-Official Steam App in the Store.

I will not be talking much about Apps and Categories this week as I have again a list of Apps that I think is of worth for your attention. I have a point in my mind I want to make about the App Store that I will dedicate this week’s discussion to. I have people complaining about me reporting incorrect number of Apps, that my figures are way lower than what other trackers in the Store are reporting. I stated it in the past, that the figure I report are not some esoteric figures from the Store that cannot be verified. What I report is what a typical User will see in the Store when you turn off Localization in the Store. I am aware that WinAppUpdate is reporting 20000+ Apps in the Store, but this is inclusive Apps that typical user will not see because they are in the Store accreditation pipeline.

I have enjoyed the acquaintance of Wes Miller that runs the site, we agree on certain points, but like adults we disagree on certain points about the Store. He gave the explanation of his discovery process in this post, and I think should check it out. He uses a process that is external to the Store client, which retrieves all apps submitted to Microsoft. But not Apps submitted are immediately available, they have to go through certain qualification process that takes time before they are published to the general public to be available for download. I agree with him that searching by asterisks [*] has its drawback, but at least it gives what is publicly available to end-users. My retrieval process adds an extra salt to public query structure using the published Windows Store Protocol, but it doesn’t differ much from the standard query process, so it ensures everyone will see almost everything I see depending on your location in the world and Cloud data propagation. I do not agree with Wes that querying the store from the GUI will not retrieve all Apps from other Locales, I mean, I do retrieve French, Spanish, Chinese apps in my list, it all depends on your Store Localization settings.

I agree with Wes Miller on one point though, that the success of Windows 8 and its Store is not dependent on the number of Apps in its Store, but the number of Quality Apps in the Store. After the Store reached the 10,000 mark, I also lost interest in counting the number of Store Apps because most of them are chaffs anyway. “Its all about Quality Apps Stupid” like they say. So I am seriously thinking of stopping this weekly reporting of number of apps in the Store. Those of you that follow me know I do break the news of Quality Apps arriving in the Store here on this Blog. So, you’ll not be missing much really if you follow this blog and me and my friends’ Twitter accounts. So just like Wes Miller did, I will also be taking the turn here by not actively reporting weekly the number Apps anymore, but I will be updating the count when major Milestones are reached. I am thinking of maybe to report each 10K Milestone.

I know for most of you, it is just the news of quality apps that is important to you, we’ve got you covered there on this site. So please be dropping in once in a while on this Total Count report to see if its updated. I will of course tweet it when its updated, so if you follow me on Twitter, you won’t miss any news. I will move the “News from the Windows Store” portion to normal posts of the same title, and I will try to do this weekly. Please comment below if you think this new turn is OK or NOT. My apologies for this long post, but I think it is necessary to make things clear so you may understand where I am heading. I hope most of you are OK with this development.

So, as you can see, the exponential growth of the Windows Store is still continuing. Remarkable is the sharp drop in the delta of Books & Reference category. The most quality apps we found these past two weeks have been blogged already on this site. I have tweeted a lot of App updates too. Below is the list of Apps that I think you should check out if you feel like it.

Tube Downloader – I raved wrote about a YouTube downloader somewhere on this site, but this one is even better; paid app though.

Craigslist+ – Also this unofficial Craiglist client is even more awesome that the ones we’ve seen before.

So, this is it for this week. This is the last you’ll be seeing in this format, I’ll be back next week with “News from the Windows Store” as a Standalone post. This tally count will be updated somewhere down the line when the Store reaches another milestone. Thanks for your audience thus far, and have a great week ahead.

[Got a tip for me? Or noticed anything out of place? Wrong URL maybe? Hit me on Twitter (@McAkins) to let me know. You can follow Naz on @Nazmuslabs Thanks already.]

Disclaimer:
All data and Information provided in this report is provided AS-IS! It does not warrant any commitment neither from me nor from Microsoft. The data is tallied from the information Microsoft made visible to the outside world, and is subject to change at any time. Applications are constantly being submitted and pulled from Store, and also subject to Store Cloud propagation, which means the data you see here may not be current at any time, and possibly different from your part of the world. Errors in this report are mine and not Microsoft’s and does not constitute any binding agreement.

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Another practical application has just hit the Store for you Cloud-dwellers amongst us. Cumulo is an app designed to make your life simple if you’ve got assets spread all over the Internet in disparate Cloud-Services. The App bridges the gap between SkyDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox, by integrating these three services into one Interface that you can treat as one file source. You can manage and search across these services as if they are coming from the same source. The app also provides Download Manager function built-in with progress status if you have to download a large file. Following is full description of the App from the Store:

DescriptionCumulo allows integrating different cloud storage services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox and SkyDrive, in a single and unified view. All your cloud storage in one place!!!

FeaturesIntegrates DropBox, SkyDrive and Google Drive into a unified viewUses the search charm to search acrross all your cloud storagesProvides a download manager to download files from all registered storagesUses descriptive icons to identify the cloud storage service for files or foldersA folder that appears in more than one cloud storage service is unified into just one folderAllows to share files using the sharing charmOpen a file using the browser

Yet another tool of your Digital Living Experience. Go ahead and download the app via the Source link, it is free as air; for now.

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Sharing is a part of being human

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With the release of the Customer Preview version of Office 2013 yesterday by Microsoft, they also released some changes to their TechNet Subscription Policies. This update has escaped us all due to the fanfare of the Office release. The following is literally quoting from the TechNet Subs FAQ page:

What changes did Microsoft implement to TechNet Subscriptions in July 2012?On July 16, Microsoft made changes to TechNet Subscriptions to better reflect the intent of the program – aiding IT professionals in evaluating current Microsoft software—and to help protect the integrity of the subscription from unsupported use. As part of this change, we:

Reduced the length and complexity of the User Agreement.

Made Microsoft software use and other subscription benefits available only during the 12 month subscription period.

We are living in an ever changing world. The pace of innovation in technology has been increasing since the beginning of humanity. Today, the change is so rapid, technology we have today becomes outdated in standards in less than a year.

We are living an a very different world than we did just 10 years ago! Imagine what this word will be like 10 to 20 years from now. Corning wants to sharing its view of the future with you. Many of the things you see hear are already available today in its primitive form, including tablets, HD mirroring, and Microsoft Surface tables. So, without further ado, let’s sit back, relax, and take a sneak peek at the future.

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There is a new, beta, version of Dropbox has been launched that can now import pictures directly from your camera, phone, and external drives, like USB flash drives. To encourage users to test this new feature, Dropbox will offer your 500MB extra space to your current Dropbox account for every 500MB images you import from your camera. Continue reading →

At the 2012 CES, Onlive introduced the Onlive Desktop. Onlive is a service that allows anyone to play Windows Games on any device by using cloud gaming technology. Users are able to buy games and then play it anywhere, anytime, and on any device by using the Onlive service. This works because the games are stored in the cloud, and the games are streamed, like video, on the device the user is playing on. This allows users to play games on devices it wasn’t meant to be compatible on, like the iPad, android, TV, and unsupported PC OS. Another advantage of Onlive is that because games run in the cloud, the PC’s specs do not need to match the game’s minimum requirements for the game to run. With a fast internet connection, one is good to go!

Onlive is now beginning to extend its service beyond games. At CES, Onlive announced the Onlive Desktop, an app that allows users to run a Windows 7 desktop and Microsoft Office on the iPad. This service will be free and will be available in the Apple App Store soon. With this app, as long as you are connected to the internet, you can use Windows 7 and Office 2010 for free on your iPad.

Onlive plans to extend the service by providing this app on PCs, Macs, Android tablets, and smartphones. You can sign up now by going here: desktop.onlive.com. It will be interesting to see how this plays out!

Apple Inc. released a press detailing that over 100 million apps from its Mac App Store has been downloaded in less than one year! The Mac App Store is Apple’s attempt to bring the very successful App Store experiences for iOS devices to the Mac. The Mac App Store doesn’t include iOS apps, but users can discover and install Mac Applications in just one click.

Apple also announced that the iOS App Store hosts over 500,000 apps, with over a billion apps downloaded per month! “App Store, which now has more than 500,000 apps and where customers have downloaded more than 18 billion apps and continue to download more than 1 billion apps per month.”

As with the iOS App Store, the Mac App Store makes it very easy and safe for customers to find applications that they may find helpful and fun. The store ensures that applications are functional, has good quality, and is free from malware. Finally, the store also make installing the application easier than it had ever been on the mac.

The Mac App Store is not the first app store experience for the desktop. Ubuntu offered this experience with the “Ubuntu Software Center” on many Linux-based Operating Systems. However, Apple’s App Store has proven to be the most popular to date. Microsoft is also working to implement an App Store experience in the next version of Windows.

Storage In The Cloud

We are in a world that was beyond imaginable just a few decades ago. By providing access to global information, to people all around the world, and to a vast number of multimedia, the internet has gained grounds to becoming an integral part of our life. But consuming content isn’t what the internet is all about.

The internet has proven to be a valuable means for us to store our own data. This is often referred to as storing data in the cloud. The cloud is basically a fancy name for the internet. As CNN puts it, “the cloud is just a fancy term for all the computers — other than your own — that are connected to the internet.

Companies like Amazon and Google maintain huge networks of computers that are stored, row after row, in secret warehouses all over the world. These machines hold data that computer users don’t want to store on their own hard drives. Think about all the photos you have on Facebook; any documents you’ve stored with a service like Dropbox or Mozy; or all of your Web-based e-mail. Those files are stored somewhere out in the cloud instead of on a personal laptop.” (Sutter)

As the internet becomes more prevalent in our lives, and as portability becomes more important, storing our data in the cloud becomes more convenient and reliable. As such, in a future not too far from now, our primary means of storage will be in the cloud.

Mobile Convenience

Before looking at why our primary storage method will favor the cloud, it is important to take a look at where we stand, at the time of this writing, in regards to how we store data. In the 1990’s, people didn’t see the need to carry gigabytes of data in their pockets; but now, this is a common reality. We have reached a point where we want to have access to our data from anywhere, not just in a static desktop machine at our office desk.

Andrew Kantor, technology writer of USA Today, notes, “being able to carry a ton of information in a two-ounce package is…a necessity. We’re not only a more mobile society, but we’re also an almost entirely information-driven one. Data are everything — names, addresses, documents, images, music, video — and we feel the need to take it with us.”

“Being able to carry a ton of information in a two-ounce package is…a necessity.”

So it is not surprising that having access to our personal and professional data is important, and that’s why many are carrying portable storage devices like USB flash drive and smartphones storing documents, music, and movies. However, storing data in these portable devices have its downfalls as well.

The biggest headache is the scattering of data. People storing data in multiple devices, portable or not, fall in the situation of having some data in one device and some other data in another device. Sometimes, it is difficult to remember where a particular data is stored. What’s worse is that data are not easily synced across devices. For example, one may have a Word document on two devices; however, if he/she updates the document in one device, that document isn’t updated in the other device.

Another problem with portable devices is that it has to be carried around. If one, for example, forgets to bring his/her USB flash drive containing essential data to work, that person does not have access to that data. Storing data in the cloud solves these issues, making it a much more convenient experience.

Cloud Storage You Can Access

It is, therefore, no wonder that cloud storage has gained such popularity. Companies like Dropbox are making storing data in the cloud as seamless and convenient as possible. PC Magazine author Edward Mendelson explains what the primary purpose of Dropbox. “Dropbox stores synchronized files in the cloud so they’re available at any machine on which you’ve installed Dropbox. You can also reach your files through a Web interface from any Internet-connected system.”

Essentially, Dropbox does what a portable storage device does. It gives the user access to his/her files from any computer using simply a web interface. However, unlike the portable devices, users do not have to carry anything around when using Dropbox.

Another plus for Dropbox is that it syncs the same data to the devices that the user specifies, as long as the devices have an internet connection. Thus, one can have his/her data stored on his/her personal devices as well as having that data available through the internet. And when that person makes changes to a document in one device, that document is updated across all his/her devices. This clearly resolves the syncing problem that portable devices created.

Mendelson also mentions that Dropbox takes the extra step to preserve earlier versions of the users’ data. This means the users does not have to do this manually, as he/she might have had to do if relying solely on portable storage devices. This makes it really easy for someone to undo errors, and all the processing for preserving these earlier versions happens in the background, in the cloud.

Dropbox also lets users sync the same data on their mobile phones, as stated on their own website (“Can I access”). Dropbox is not the only service around. Other competitors, like Microsoft Skydrive, and Box.net offer similar services to the users. Services like these offer gigabytes of storage absolutely free for the users, with paid options for additional storage space.

Benefits & Convenience

With all the benefits of online storage, it is not hard to see where the world is heading. People are storing more of their data in the cloud, and companies are investing more on companies offering cloud storage (Kopytoff). According to The New York Times, 60 percent of adults with internet access have at least two devices that can connect to the internet.

60 percent of adults with internet access have at least two devices that can connect to the internet.

As such, services offering cloud storage is seeing a boom in the number of users. For example, Dropbox has 25 million users uploading 300 million files a day! Box.net has six million users while another service, called Mozy now has three million (Kopytoff). This increase in the number of users is not coincidence as online storage has clear benefits over just using portable storage devices. It is only logical to assume that these numbers will go higher in the near future.

Privacy In The Cloud?

With all these benefits, where does cloud storage stand when it comes to privacy? While sites can get hacked and data can be stolen, this is nothing new. One can more likely loss his/her flash drive, say, by accidentally dropping it on the street. Another possibility is that an unprotected PC may be hacked and the data stored on that PC can be stolen. Stolen data is a possible risk when storing data anywhere, not just the cloud.

A possible way to secure data is to encrypt it. According to dictionary.com, encrypting data means “to cipher or encode” it. Encrypted data is essentially scrambled data that cannot be unscrambled without a password, which the owner of the data creates. Thus, only those with the correct password can access it. So, encrypted data stored in the cloud, or a personal device is very unlikely to get hacked because those who steal that data can’t read it.

Cloud storage is very popular for it convenience. It can be accessed from anywhere and from any device. It also stays synced, so the user does not have to worry about what version of their document they are using.

Finally, as internet connectivity improves and more people have access to the cloud, it only makes sense to store one’s primary data in the cloud for easy and efficient access. In the ever-changing world of technology, cloud storage might very well be an integral part of our lives in the near future.